Latest update brings face unlock to the Infinix Note 4

It’s a year since the Infinix Note 4 launched. And, as you would expect, Infinix has wasted no time in availing a successor to the device just as it hit the one-year mark.

Some of the key selling points of smartphones in 2018, cheap or expensive, include the taller 18:9 display panels and face unlock. Now, the Infinix Note 4 shipped when the former was just starting to become a thing at higher price segments. In fact, the fad of that time was the dual-cameras that it eschewed in favour of a single snapper that held up just fine.

The latter feature, however, can be delivered even to devices that launched without it through a software update. We’ve seen the likes of Huawei doing it. Heck, even Infinix has done it for the Hot S3, which just started selling in Kenya the other day. And that is exactly what Infinix is doing with last year’s Note smartphone.

An update currently hitting the Infinix X572 brings with it face unlock alongside other updates not listed in the change log like a bump to the May Android security update. This brings some newness to the Note 4 since this is a standout feature in 2018 Infinix smartphones like the Hot 6/Hot 6 Pro, Hot S3 and, most recently, the Note 4’s own successor, the Infinix Note 5.

The update is just 332 megabytes, something that can be downloaded pretty quickly if you’re on fast Wi-Fi. The installation process does take its sweet time, though.

If your Note 4’s storage is full, you might want to create some space for the update which should arrive over-the-air without your prompting (but you can always nag the System Update section of your phone’s settings app). The usual precautions like not having modified the software in any way before, having the device charged at least up to 60% etc apply.

Once installed, the face unlock feature can be accessed through the security menu in the settings app or via the standalone app which can be found in the app drawer.

I noticed that the gallery app is now awkwardly named “My Pictures” after this update. An app that I consider bloat on the Infinix Hot S3 I am currently reviewing (and on the Hot 6 Pro as well), Eaglee News, is also packaged with this update. Argh.